Monochrome Rainbow
by The Rhapsody in Your Heart
Summary: The world is not merely black and white, but rather infinite shades of gray. It is in this spectrum that we see how thin the lines that separate us all really are. A collection of ficlets.
1. Secrets

Disclaimer: I own nothing. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

Momoko never liked the idea of keeping their identities a secret.

After all, what harm would it do if everyone knew they were the Powerpuff Girls Z? Surely none.

In fact, wouldn't it be a good thing?

They wouldn't have to keep coming up with excuses to leave class just so they could go and transform in private. They could do it anywhere without worry. Think of all the time they'd save!

Also, people would know who to call if ever they had problems; and not _just_ monster-related ones either. They would be able to help a _lot_ more people. And isn't that what superheroines are _supposed_ to do anyway? Help _all_ people in _any_ kind of need?

_So_, if you look at it _that_ way, keeping their powers a secret was _actually_ keeping them from being good superheroines!

_And_, people thinking of her as 'Blossom the wonderful superheroine' instead of _just_ 'Momoko the hero maniac' could only be a plus.

o.0.o

Kaoru always liked the idea of keeping their identities a secret.

After all, if everyone knew that they were the Powerpuff Girls Z, there would be utter chaos!

All the monsters in Tokyo city would know where they lived, where they went to school, where they liked to hang out..._Nowhere_ would be safe!

Not to mention the danger their loved ones would be put into. Monsters could kidnap them and use them to tip the odds in their favor or extract all kinds of information from them about the Powerpuff Girls Z.

Tokyo city would be doomed! And they would have done exactly what they _weren't_ supposed to do--put innocent people in danger.

_So_, if you look at it _that_ way, keeping their powers a secret was _also_ keeping Tokyo city and its citizens safe from harm. (Well, from harm that they weren't used to, anyway.)

_And_, people _not_ knowing about her wearing a skirt could only be a plus.

* * *

A/N: I wanted to include Miyako as well...but I couldn't think of anything for her. Well, thanks for reading. Please review!


	2. Colors

Disclaimer: I own nothing. This story is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

The cherry is red. And she is happy.

For today is today and there are no worries.

She twirls the cherry between her fingers, watching it closely. She plucks the stalk carefully before putting the cherry in her mouth. She nibbles on it slowly, trying to squeeze as much juice from it as possible. Soon, her tongue is coated with its nectar. She thinks her taste buds have gone to heaven.

But it does not last long and the cherry is swallowed. Her smile falters. She grabs another cherry from the bowl.

The cherry is red. And she is happy.

o.0.o

The sky is blue. And she is calm.

For today is today and there are no worries.

She flies freely in the air, her fingers gently weaving through the clouds, the sun bathing her in a warm glow. She finds it all quite soothing.

She decides to lie on her back and watch the clouds above her, occasionally commenting on how one looks like an animal and such. But it does not last long and she becomes tired. So she closes her eyes and loses herself in the tranquility of the sky.

The sky is blue. And she is calm.

o.0.o

The grass is green. And she is lively.

For today is today and there are no worries.

The grass tickles her bare feet but she does not mind. She revels in the feeling and continues to prance around, dancing to the music that only she could hear.

But it does not last long and the music stops. She decides to lie on the grass and roll around instead. She could only smile as the adrenaline courses through her veins, the cool breeze caresses her face, and the grass tickles her whole body.

The grass is green and she is lively.

* * *

A/N: For those who may wonder, the reason why this chapter is short is because it is composed of three drabbles. Drabbles are composed of exactly 100 words, hence the lack of length.

Thank you and please review!


	3. 5 Stages of Love

Disclaimer: I do not own Demashitaa! Powerpuff Girls Z.

A/N: The title '5 Stages of Love' is actually incorrect because the 'stages' don't follow any order. It would have made more sense if I wrote about falling out of love than just love in general. Unfortunately, I realized this about 95 percent in and was too lazy to change it. I hope you can still enjoy the story. Also, every 'stage' has its own character. See if you can figure out who they are.

o.0.o

_**1. Denial**_

"You look good tonight."

_ I could look better._

"That dress really suits you."

_ This ratty old thing?_

"I feel really lucky, having the most beautiful girl with me tonight."

_That's not true. What about her, and her, and her? Oh, and her?_

"I love you."

_I can't see why you do._

_**2. Anger**_

"That outfit would look cute on you."

_What's wrong with what I have on?!_

"I've got tickets to game on Sunday. Want to come?"

_You know I don't like either team!_

"Maybe you should calm down a bit. People are staring."

_So what if they are?!_

"I hope you like my present. I looked everywhere for it."

_You don't know me at all, do you?!_

_**3. Bargaining**_

"Sorry. I'm busy tonight."

_Then, how about tomorrow?_

"I'm feeling a bit sick you see."

_I could come over instead._

"We're just too different."

_I could change! Just tell me what you want!_

"I already have a girlfriend."

_Come on, just this once! She'll never know._

_**4. Depression**_

"I hope you like the souvenir I sent you."

_I don't deserve it._

"Why don't you drop by here sometime instead?"

_It would be too much trouble._

"Surprise! I pulled some strings so I could make it in time for your birthday!"

_Oh, you shouldn't have._

"Things are getting hectic here. I don't think that I can come home for a while."

_ I'll miss you._

_**5. Acceptance**_

"You look good."

_Thank you._

"You seem to glow more nowadays."

_That's because you're here with me._

"Do you remember when we first met?"

_Like it was yesterday._

"I love you."

_I love you too._

o.0.o.

A/N: Sorry for the long update. I've been busy with school. I was actually working on something else when this fic popped into my head. I got the inspiration from another story I read. (Forgot where, though...) Anyway, the style's pretty new to me so I'm not sure how I did. I hope I kept it in character. Please review!


	4. 50 Sentences

**Title:** 50 Sentences

**Fandom:** Demashitaa! Powerpuff Girls Z

**Characters:** Momoko, Miyako, Kaoru, the Professor, Ken, the mayor, Mojo, and Octi

**Disclaimer:** Demashitaa! Powerpuff Girls Z does not belong to me. I just borrow its characters and get them high enough on crack so they'd appear in my stories.

**Notes:** Spoilers all around for the series. Nothing too major though. Some of these are connected and some are not.

o.0.o

_**1. Ring**_

She still couldn't believe it was only after her fiancé had tried to put the engagement ring on her finger that she realized she still had her transformation ring on – it had been years since she last used it.

_**2. Hero**_

Miyako and Kaoru always found it ironic how Momoko hopelessly fawned over those fictional heroes of hers – she _did_ save the world on a regular basis after all.

_**3. Memory**_

"You can remember every line in every episode of those shows of yours but you can't even remember your own birthday! You're really hopeless aren't you?" Momoko simply gave a sheepish grin.

_**4. Box**_

"Would you just open it already? You've been shaking it for ten whole minutes now!" Momoko merely stuck out her tongue.

_**5. Run**_

Buttercup wasn't one to run away from a fight, but when your teammates are dragging you away at full speed from your enemy who has a 70-foot tall death machine, there really isn't much of a choice.

_**6. Hurricane**_

"Well, we could always tell the mayor that a hurricane hit Tokyo City…"

_**7. Wings**_

When Ken, asked her what being in love was like, Miyako was more than delighted to answer: "Well, you see, being in love is a lot like having wings. It can take you to new heights and make you feel like never before! But, if you let yourself get carried away in its bliss, you may get hurt. When that happens, your wings will feel heave, as if you carrying a heavy burden. But if you keep believing in your love, then it will get better and you can fly even higher that before! …Um, did that answer your question?"

_**8. Cold**_

When they saw her being pulled back to shore by the lifeguard, they suddenly felt chills run down their spines.

_**9. Red**_

Buttercup paled as she saw the red liquid coating her fingers; she hadn't hit him that hard, had she?

_**10. Drink**_

Thirsty as she was, Momoko couldn't bring herself to get something from the vending machine – the image of the ocean was still too fresh in her mind.

_**11. Midnight**_

As she looked at her 'Prince Charming' that night, she wondered of she would find herself holding on to nothing but a glass slipper and memories once the clock struck twelve.

_**12. Temptation**_

Professor Utonium sent another hopeful glance towards his costume; the girls' exams _are_ coming soon and they _do_ need more time to study…

_**13. View**_

A smile formed on Bubbles' face – everything just looked so nice and peaceful from up above.

_**14. Music**_

After their day of 'Love Love Beam' training, the girls agreed that the Professor would have _no future whatsoever_ in the music industry.

_**15. Silk**_

Kuriko never said it, but she was quite jealous of her older sister's silky red hair.

_**16. Cover**_

"Everyone knows you shouldn't judge a book by its cover… I mean, just because he has a knack for pissing everyone off and a really, really, creepy laugh… doesn't mean he can't be a nice guy, right?"

_**17. Promise**_

Despite the odds, Miyako continued to wait for, as Momoko put it, her 'Bubbly Knight'; he promised he would see her again and that was good enough for her.

_**18. Dream**_

As Kaoru and Momoko watched Miyako sleeping soundly, despite all the strange noises, they both grew envious: "She's probably, having a really nice dream right now, isn't she?"

_**19. Candle**_

Needless to say, Momoko was less than pleased when she wasn't able to blow out her birthday candles on account of the power going out.

_**20. Talent**_

When Momoko suggested that they turn into the Powerpuff Girls Z and do stunts for the talent show, Kaoru and Miyako weren't sure if she joking or serious.

_**21. Silence**_

Kaoru wasn't sure if she was relieved or worried that Momoko had been awfully silent that day.

_**22. Journey**_

They say the journey is more important than the destination, but when you're hot, tired and constantly bitten by bugs, you really begin to have your doubts about that.

_**23. Fire**_

Just being able to sit around the campfire toasting marshmallows and enjoying each other's company really made the long hard trek up worthwhile.

_**24. Strength**_

Miyako, Kaoru mused, was probably stronger than all of them – she was the one who always had to smile and lift everyone's spirits, regardless of how bleak the situation seemed or how she herself felt about it.

_**25. Mask**_

"Why do superheroes even bother wearing masks? All everyone ever notices are the costumes," Kaoru said as they watched yet another episode of 'Super Fighting Sparkly Action Miracle Something or Other' (she couldn't be bothered to ask Momoko for the real title) and everyone else couldn't help but agree.

_**26. Ice**_

To think, someone as evil and as sinister as Him was scared of mere ice – the idea was almost laughable, had he not the power to kill you in seconds.

_**27. Fall**_

"Would you catch me I fall?" was more of a rhetorical question, but hearing him say yes made her happy all the same.

_**28. Forgotten**_

"Don't worry Octi," a five year-old Miyako said as she gave the plush a hug, "I'll play with you everyday. I'll love you and take care of you. I won't ever forget you. I promise."

_**29. Dance**_

Despite what happened last time, Momoko, Miyako, and Kaoru (though she didn't show it) excitedly accepted the mayor's offer to go dancing at the disco again – it had been fun, after all.

_**30. Rocky**_

"I don't know why, but I suddenly got the urge for some rocky road ice cream… Hey! What are you all looking at me like that for?!"

_**31. Sacred**_

"Professor, you sure it's alright for us to fight Mojo here – we _are_ in a temple.

_**32. Farewells**_

Miyako felt more tears rolling down her cheeks – it was inevitable… but still… she couldn't believe that… when she said goodbye to her grandmother that morning… it really was… _goodbye_.

_**33. World**_

Saving the world is kind of a thankless job; sure people praise you and idolize you, but at the end of the day, they're really just cheering for your alter ego, and not _you_.

_**34. Formal**_

After Momoko and Miyako successfully coerced Kaoru into coming to a gala with them, they weren't sure what they were more amazed at – the fact that she wore a dress or how good she looked in it.

_**35. Fever**_

Although Ken would never admit it, (it just wasn't scientifically possible) he knew that Miyako's presence had _something_ to do with his speedy recovery.

_**36. Laugh**_

"I know that my joke was funny and all, but don't go around spraying milk out of your nose!"

_**37. Lies**_

They had lost count so long ago of how many lies they had to tell to keep their secret that they weren't sure they remembered how to tell the truth anymore.

_**38. Forever**_

Even when they were at each other's throats and arguing non-stop, Miyako never stopped believing that their friendship would last forever.

_**39. Overwhelmed**_

"Professor… we understand that you're… glad to see us… but… if you don't stop… hugging us… there might not be… anyone to welcome back… next time…"

_**40. Whisper**_

As Miyako whispered something into Momoko's ear, Kaoru couldn't help but be curious.

_**41. Wait**_

Kaoru sighed – waiting for something interesting to happen was just so _boring_.

_**42. Talk**_

As Kaoru watched Miyako and Momoko giggle amongst themselves, she wondered if she would ever understand 'girl talk'.

_**43. Search**_

Mojo let out a sigh; perhaps it _was_ better to give up on the whole love thing – his attempts to find a significant other _were_ all horrible failures.

_**44. Hope**_

The thing about hope was, it was always easier to lose it than to have it, and that was a fact they knew all too well.

_**45. Eclipse**_

"Well, Professor, it's not that we _wanted_ to miss seeing the eclipse with you… it's just that… well, we were kind of busy keeping the city safe… you know… beating up monsters and all that… it's not like we could have left… and… uh… we promise we won't miss the next one!"

_**46. Gravity**_

Momoko's head was sometimes so far up in the clouds, Ken wondered if even _gravity_ had a hard time bringing her back down to earth.

_**47. Highway**_

"Well, mayor, we did break the moon once. Compared to that, tearing up the highway is nothing!"

_**48. Unknown**_

The days grew long but never boring; she had them to thank for making it so exciting and unpredictable.

_**49. Lock**_

"The door isn't locked you doorknob! You're just pulling it when you're supposed to be pushing it!"

_**50. Breathe**_

The smell of freedom and friendship was always in the air, but it was only after meeting them that she learned to _breathe_.

o.0.o

_A/N: The 50 Sentences template that I used was Gamma. So if you want it, just go to livejournal__ and look for the community. Also, I didn't post it there, this being general and having no specific pairing, so don't bother looking for it. Comments/suggestions are always appreciated! _:)


	5. Superstitions

**Title:** Superstitions

**Fandom:** Demashitaa! Powerpuff Girls Z

**Characters****/Pairings:** Momoko, Miyako, and Kaoru

**Disclaimer:** Demashitaa! Powerpuff Girls Z does not belong to me. I just borrow its characters and get them high enough on crack so they'd appear in my stories.

**Notes:** Rated T for mild language

**Summary:** Miyako came to a conclusion that day: Momoko plus superstitions _definitely_ equals an angry Kaoru and a whole lot of trouble.

o.0.o

"Hey Momoko!" Kaoru called out. "Hurry up, would ya? You're moving slower than a turtle!"

Kaoru turned to Miyako. "Can you believe her? Forcing us to hurry up with our cleaning duty just so she could make it to the opening of that cake store. Now look at her! Slow as a snail!"

"Well," Miyako said. "I think Momoko-san is just trying to avoid the cracks on the sidewalk," then adding, "You know, because of that superstition."

"What superstition?"

"You know, the one that says that if you 'step on a crack, break your mother's back'."

Kaoru let out a snort. "That's stupid. There's no way that would ever happen in real life." A pause. "Then again, Momoko has done more stupid things in the past… When did she start believing this whole superstition crap anyways?"

Miyako thought for a moment. "I believe it was some time last week. Momoko-san and I watched this film where the main character breaks a mirror and suddenly has a lot of bad things happen to her. She then seeks the help of a witch but accidentally crosses the path of the witch's cat instead. So, she has even more bad luck than before! But then she wakes up and finds that it was all a dream."

"So, what you're saying is, Momoko took the movie too seriously and now thinks that all superstitions are true."

"That's about right."

"Hey!" a voice screamed. "Kaoru, look out!" Kaoru and Miyako turned to see Momoko running towards them (somehow still avoiding the cracks on the sidewalk) at breakneck speed.

Kaoru yelled, "Momoko! What the hell—" But she was cut off when Momoko grabbed her wrist and started pulling with all her might. Kaoru tried to yank her wrist from Momoko's grasp but to no avail. Momoko was surprisingly stronger than she thought.

Hoping a change in tactics might help, she yelled, "Momoko! Let go!"

"No!"

"Why not?!"

"Because if I do, you're going to walk under that ladder and have bad luck!"

"Oh, _come on_!" Kaoru scoffed, though glancing briefly at the ladder she had not noticed was there before. "You don't honestly believe that superstition crap do you? Besides, _I'm_ the one walking under the ladder. _I'm_ the one who's going to get the bad luck! You have _nothing_ to do with it!"

"Even so! I can't let that happen!" Momoko said with a surprising amount of determination, causing Kaoru and Miyako to look at her expectantly. "I'm a _superheroine_! Therefore, it is my duty to help anyone in actual or potential danger. And how am I supposed to do that if I can't even help my own friend/teammate?"

Kaoru looked at Momoko once more before finally yanking her wrist out of her grip. "Even so, I'm still walking under the ladder."

"No you can't!" Momoko screamed, grabbing Kaoru's wrist once more. "Didn't you listen to my dramatic speech _at all_?!"

"Yes I did," Kaoru said calmly, lifting Momoko's spirits. "Now let go!"

Momoko frowned and pulled harder. "No!"

"Let go!"

"_No!_"

"_Come on! Let go!_"

And as the tug of war battle between her friends continued, Miyako weighed her options. "If I try to pull Kaoru-san away from Momoko-san, I might be the one to end up walking under the ladder. Then Momoko-san would get angry at me. But if I pull Momoko-san away from Kaoru-san, Kaoru-san might use her full strength and be able to break free. But then if she does, she might accidentally end up going under the ladder. Then Momoko-san would still get angry. But then if I—"

_Splash!_

Miyako snapped out of her thoughts and saw… _Uh-oh_…

Momoko no longer had a death grip on Kaoru's wrist. In fact, it was the exact opposite. She had her hands up in the air and was slowly backing away, with each step growing larger and larger. Kaoru, on the other hand, was emanating an aura of pure fury that could strike fear into the hearts of the toughest of men, even with her face covered in green paint.

Momoko continued her slow retreat, carefully watching Kaoru for any signs of growing murderous intent. She had just distanced herself by a bit more than two yards when Kaoru seemingly snapped out of her enraged trance and yelled, "Momoko! I am _so_ gonna get you for this!"

Upon hearing this, Momoko quickly turned around and began running like the wind. Kaoru wiped off some of the green paint off of her face before quickly following in pursuit.

Sensing Kaoru's more-violent-than-usual aura closing in on her, Momoko took a risk and looked back and sweetly said, "_Kaoru_, has anyone ever told you how good you look in green?"

Unfortunately, this received a less than welcome response as Kaoru merely growled and ran faster.

"You know Kaoru," Momoko started, changing tactics. "This would have never happened if you had just let me pull you away from that ladder." Then she added, in an obvious lack of judgement, "This is all _your_ fault!"

Unfortunately, (albeit expectedly) this too was received with another growl.

"_My fault!_ If you had just let me walk under that damn ladder, none of this would have happened! This is all _your_ fault!"

Meanwhile, Miyako, now recovered from her initial shock and fully aware of the situation, sighed, "Here we go again," before running after her friends.

"Come on guys! Momoko-san! Kaoru-san! Can't we just talk this out?!"

In the end, they never made it to the cake store. Instead, they reached the Professor's lab—Kaoru with green paint all over her, Momoko with a black eye, and Miyako with blisters on her feet and a conclusion: Momoko plus superstitions _definitely_ equals an angry Kaoru and a whole lot of trouble.

o.0.o

_A/N: I've had this idea in my head for a while now, so it felt really good to finally have it down on paper… err, hard drive. __It's also my longest story to date, so I'm very proud of it. It may not have been a thousand words, but it was close. Anyway, comments/suggestions are most appreciated._


	6. Sisters

**Title:** Sisters

**Fandom:** Demashitaa! Powerpuff Girls Z

**Characters/Pairings:** Momoko, Kuriko, Kaoru, and Professor Utonium

**Disclaimer:** Demashitaa! Powerpuff Girls Z does not belong to me. I just borrow its characters and get them high enough on crack so they'd appear in my stories.

**Word Count:** 1,039

**Notes:** Just another fic resulting from my HSM obsession. Sorry for the lack of Miyako. I'll think of something for her soon.

**Summary:** By the Akatsutsumi's standards, this was a pretty normal exchange between their two daughters.

o.0.o

"Oh crap! Oh crap! Oh crap!" Momoko cursed as she glanced at her watch. "I am _so_ late!"

She quickly got out of bed and threw on some decent outdoor wear, hurriedly running her comb through her tangled mass of red hair. "The professor is _totally_ gonna kill me!"

She arbitrarily grabbed some socks from her drawer and put them on. "Especially since this is my third time to use the 'I overslept' excuse. She sighed. "It's a shame really, since this time, it's actually true…"

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

She looked at her watch again and saw 10:15 blinking wildly. "Oh crap! Oh crap! Oh crap! I've only got tem more minutes!"

So, she picked up her ribbon and sprinted down the stairs, all the while trying to tame her hair into a ponytail.

"Hey," she heard a voice say as she reached the bottom of the staircase. "Where are you going Sis?"

"Out," she replied, hastily grabbing a pair of shoes and putting them on. "Just tell Mom and Dad I'll be back in out an hour, kay?"

"And what are you going to be doing out?" Momoko suppressed the urge to yell 'I don't have time for this' and just sighed. Hen she took a few deep breaths and started counting from one to ten. "This is no time to argue," she told herself. "No matter how annoying Kuriko can get."

"Sis," Kuriko piped up once more, latching herself onto Momoko's leg. "Didn't you hear me? I said 'What. Are. You. Going. To. Be—"

"Look Kuriko," Momoko cut her off, a bit more snappily than she would have liked. She mentally slapped herself, trying to regain composure. Then, smiling sweetly, she continued, "I'm just going to be out for a while, you know, walking around the park and all that."

Seeing Kuriko still firmly attached too her leg, she spoke once more "Now Kuriko, I really need to get going now. So, Could. You. Just. Let. GO?!"

Kuriko blinked. Momoko's eye twitched.

Kuriko blinked again. Momoko tapped her foot.

Kuriko blinked a third time. Momoko snapped. "Look Kuriko, I _really_ have to get going. Now I don't know whether or not this is some sort of dumb little sister thing you're trying to pull, but I just can't do it now! I'm already running late as it is! So, I have to get going. Right. Now. And for me to do that, you. Need. To. LET. _GO_!"

Kuriko blinked again, only this time, cocking her head slightly to the right. Momoko gritted her teeth, slamming her face into her palm.

This time, it was Kuriko who spoke. "I thought you said you were just going out for a stroll." Momoko looked nervously at her sister's suddenly narrowed eyes. This was not a good sign. "How come you said something about being late?"

Momoko bit her lip, racking her brain for an excuse. Why had she even said that anyway? She glanced at her watch again. 10:21. "Oh crap! Oh crap! Oh crap!" she thought again to herself. "Now I'm _really_ gonna be late!"

Then she remembered her sister was still latched onto her leg and waiting for a response. So, picking the first idea that popped into her head, she put on her most 'I'm really serious about this and I really need you too keep it a secret from Mom and Dad or else I'm gonna get in trouble' face and said, "The truth is, Kuriko, I'm not going to the park. I'm really going to Professor Utonium's laboratory." Then with her voice dropping to a whisper, she added, "You see, I've secretly donated my body to science and for the past six months, Professor Utonium's been testing his various experiments on me so he can make the world a better place!" She even finished with an ultra-dramatic pose. Kuriko had to believe her!

Unfortunately, Kuriko had lost interest halfway through her monologue and, not wanting to disrupt the dramatic delivery, said nothing and quietly left to go watch TV instead.

Momoko, just realizing that her sister had vanished, smiled. "Now that that's over, I can finally—" But upon hearing the sounds of the TV and her sister's laughter coming from the other room, she paused for a moment, then burst out, "_Hey_! She didn't even listen to me!"

Furious, Momoko stomped over to the living room to give a peace of her mind when—

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

"Oh crap! Oh crap! Oh crap! It's already 10:25!" Her eyes darted back and forth between the door and her sister before bitterly muttering, "I'll just get her later…" and rushing out the door.

--

"_Hngh_… _Hngh_… _Hngh_… Whew! I… _hngh_… finally… _hngh_… made it…" Exhausted, Momoko leaned against the lab's main door and took a few deep breaths. She looked at her watch for what seemed like the millionth time. 10:31. "Six minutes," she thought. "Must be a new record for me." She smiled sadly. "Shame I'm still late though."

"Hey," a voice said, also between heavy breaths. It was Kaoru. And from the looks of it, she had had a tough day too.

"So… _hngh_… what's… _hngh_… your excuse?"

"Uh… _hngh_… you know… _hngh_… my brothers…" Kaoru walked over and sat down next to her. "And… _hngh_… my Dad too… _hngh_… What's yours?"

"My… _hngh_… stupid sister…" A frown formed on Momoko's face remembering the incident earlier. "She's… _hngh_… way too annoying… _hngh_… for someone… _hngh_… her age…"

"Yeah," Kaoru chuckled. "I… _hngh_… hear ya there…" Then, raising her hand pretending to hold a glass, she added "Cheers… _hngh_… to annoying siblings…"

Momoko smiled, raising her own pretend wine glass. "Yeah… _cheers_!"

--

Professor Utonium, overhearing their conversation, decided to leave them for now. They deserved the rest. Besides, he needed to be prepared for the fireworks that would inevitably ensue when he would tell them that their meeting was rescheduled for tomorrow.

--

"Oh, and Momoko, what's up with your socks? Not to mention the rest of you?"

Momoko looked at her socks, one red and one blue and tried to imagine the rest of her—all scruffy and with badly unkempt hair. She smiled, though partly out of embarrassment, and said, "It's a _long_ story."

o.0.o

_A/N: This is a real accomplishment for me. It's the first story I've ever written that was over a thousand words. It's strange really, I've been spewing a lot of long fics lately. I don't know why, though. I just hope I can continue. It feels good to write fics like these. Oh, and I do hope that I'm not overloading you with Momoko. She's just so much fun to write. _

_Anyway, I'm currently working on Kaoru's side of the story, so just wait for that. And I'm trying to think of something for Miyako too. I feel bad for leaving her out of the action._

_Comments/suggestions are much appreciated!_


End file.
